How to Write a Press Release for a Nonprofit Organization
Press releases are a valuable tool for nonprofit organizations, but many charitable groups don't have anyone on staff who knows how to write an effective press release. With resources always stretched to the breaking point in any nonprofit, it's tough to justify the expense of having a press release written. Luckily, there are numerous resources available to those who would like to learn how to write a press release for a nonprofit organization. Any moderately skilled writer can, with a little time and effort, learn to write press releases.
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Instructions
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Find a newsworthy story within your organization. Professional journalists may not consider all news that's important to your members to be newsworthy. Look for something that's timely, unique and captivating.
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Create an eye-catching headline. Some journalists won't read past the headline if it doesn't immediately capture their attention. Think of your headline as an exciting one-sentence summary of your entire story. It should tell the reader what your release is about, but leave him wanting to know more.
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Answer the five W's and one H of news reporting: who, what, where, when, why and how. If that information isn't in your release, journalists may move on to a more informative press release rather than spend time researching your organization to answer these questions. This, the most important information in your release, should be in the first paragraph; use another paragraph or two to expand upon the information conveyed in your first paragraph.
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Include media contact information. If your organization has a spokesperson, put her name, email address and telephone number at the bottom of your release. Make sure you include after-hours contact information, so that reporters with late-night deadlines can reach your contact person. If there's no official spokesperson, ask your group's executive director to nominate someone as a media contact.
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Distribute your press release wisely. Most free services won't really send your press release to journalists seeking stories. To reach reporters, you need to have your release included in major newswires and avoid publishing it too widely online before reporters have had the chance to consider your story. Nobody likes to write an article just to realize that it's already been scooped by a blog.
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Tips & Warnings
If your organization has more money than time, professional press release writing services are available online. Ask for lots of references and check the company's reputation with the Better Business Bureau before spending money.
Keep your release as brief as you can while conveying all the important information. Reporters' attention spans are short when faced with hundreds of releases every day.
Some press release distribution services, such as Causewire, offer discounts to nonprofit organizations. Don't be afraid to ask, "Can we get special pricing for being a charitable organization?"
Be warm and courteous to any reporter who responds to your release. Follow up with a thank-you note after an interview.
Always have someone proofread your release before you send it out. Typos and grammatical errors make journalists cringe.
Prior to distribution, pass your final draft by a few people in the organization who can help with fact checking and tone. The last thing you want is to have to publish another press release to correct an inaccuracy or apologize for a statement in a previous release.
Watch out for "too good to be true" deals on online press release writing or distribution. Don't use any company that won't answer your questions and connect you with references.
References
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